The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted normal face-to-face classes across institutions. This has significantly impacted methods courses where preservice teachers (PSTs) practice pedagogy in the field (e.g., in the PreK-12 classroom). In this paper, we describe efforts to adapt an assignment originally situated in a face-to-face school placement into a virtual version. By utilizing multi-perspective 360 video, preliminary results suggest virtual field experiences can provide PSTs with similar experiences for observation-based assignments. Acknowledging that immersive virtual experiences are not a complete replacement for face-to-face field-based experiences, we suggest virtual field assignments can be a useful supplement or a viable alternative during a time of pandemic.

Hi colleagues, My provost just put out a set of expected guidelines for instructors in online classes that emphasize expectations around discussion forums (I pasted them below). These discussion forum expectations are very narrowly defined. I am needing group-think on references that might help me put together some “best practice” alternatives. If an article or other resource comes to mind, please share!

Online Faculty Expectations

Weekly Required (all weeks)

• Faculty will demonstrate their presence in the class 5 days per week

• Respond to all students’ (who post on-time) primary discussion post if you have 9 or fewer students (1/2 of students if you have 10 or more).

• Faculty with larger courses should take special care to post to different students each week.

• Faculty who provide a weekly zoom lecture need only post on the board two other times (on two different days for a total of two other posts).

• Provide individual feedback (posted in the feedback section of the gradebook) for all discussion grades within a reasonable timeframe for students to complete subsequent assignments.

Dayna HenryI balk at the admin trying to tell us what to do. At the same time, I am very angry with colleagues who did not actually offer anything in the way of virtual learning when we went online in spring. It’s hard to balance academic freedom with faculty who don’t care to learn/offer a new way of learning (for your institution). I also recognize the admin was not in their F2F courses either and likely the slacking was occurring there too. The problem is the students LOVE these folks for giving them an easy A/pass.

Cathy CurranFor years I have said that administrators need to teach at least one each year or every other year. My Dean has been out of the classroom for over 20 years, the Provost for over 25 and the Chancellor has never taught. They have zero clue how to build or implement and online class. They keep making mandates that to those of us who do actually teach seem absurd. We know the “count and classify” nonsense never works but it is the same argument they use for numerical evaluations of teaching effectiveness: it is objective. The decisions they are making do not make instruction better they are all about power and control, they need us to “prove” that we are doing our job and somehow logging into the LMS five days a week does that. Sad really really sad. Well you know some do and other become administrators…

Senate Votes to Allow FBI to Look at Your Web Browsing History Without a Warrant

The US Senate has voted to give law enforcement agencies access to web browsing data without a warrant, dramatically expanding the government’s surveillance powers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The power grab was led by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell as part of a reauthorization of the Patriot Act, which gives federal agencies broad domestic surveillance powers.

“Today the Senate made clear that the purpose of the PATRIOT Act is to spy on Americans, no warrants or due process necessary,” Dayton Young, director of product at Fight for the Future, told Motherboard.

Raise your hand if you agree that the Senate GOP’s vote to permit the FBI to review your browsing history without a warrant is a flagrant government overreach ✋

You Can Now Attend VR Meetings—No Headset Required

Spatial is a startup that enables people to meet through augmented or virtual reality. It’s a little similar to the now defunct Facebook Spaces, except it has much broader support. You can use VR or mixed-reality headsets from a myriad of brands—from Microsoft’s HoloLens and Nreal’s Light to the Oculus Quest—as vehicles to meet in virtual spaces.

Spatial is announcing that it’s launching support for web browsers on desktops, Android, and iOS. Oh, and the platform is now completely free and open to everyone.

At our physical iLRN conferences, the first day of the conference (Sunday) is typically devoted to one or more guided social tours of local attractions in which attendees have the opportunity to socialize and get to know one another while immersing themselves in the sights and sounds of the host city and/or region. As this year’s conference will take place entirely online, we are instead offering the opportunity for attendees to sign up for small-group “Guided Virtual Adventure” tours of 50 minutes in duration to various social and collaborative XR/immersive environments and platforms.

Proposals are being sought for prospective Guided Virtual Adventure tour offerings on Sunday, June 21, 2020. Tour destinations may be:

– a third-party XR/immersive platform with which you are familiar (e.g., Altspace, Mozilla Hubs, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Somnium Space, OrbusVR, Second Life);

– a specific virtual environment that you, your institution/organization, or someone else has developed within a third-party platform;

– a platform that you or your institution/organization has developed and/or specific environments within that platform.

There are no fees involved in offering a Guided Virtual Adventure tour; however, preference will be given to proposals that involve environments/platforms that are freely and openly accessible, and that are associated with nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. Where possible, it is strongly recommended that multiple offerings of the tour are made available throughout the day so as to cater for different time zones in which the 8,000+ iLRN 2020 event attendees will be based.

Companies wishing to offer Guided Virtual Adventure tours involving their commercial products and services may submit proposals for consideration, but the iLRN 2020 Organizing Committee reserves the right to, at its discretion, place limits on the number of tours of platforms/environments of a certain type or that address a particular target audience/application vertical. In doing so, they will prioritize companies that have purchased a sponsorship or exhibition package.

International Data Corporation says it expects the number of AI jobs globally to grow 16% this year.

a new report released Wednesday, IBM found the majority (85%) of AI professionals think the industry has become more diverse over recent years

3,200 people surveyed across North America, Europe and India, 86% said they are now confident in AI systems’ ability to make decisions without bias.

A plurality of men (46%) said they became interested in a tech career in high school or earlier, while a majority of women (53%) only considered it a possible path during their undergraduate degree or grad school.

XR Storytellers: Learners Making Immersive Stories

LIVE NOW

Thursday, May 7, 2020 from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM (CDT)

PRESENTATION
Our team will share lessons learned in collaborating to create immersive experiences that accelerate STEM education. Find out how students achieve classroom learning objectives by designing AR experiences. Watch a demonstration of how an immersive scientific story is co-created by students and teachers in a virtual learning environment. Explore novel techniques for supporting learners to demonstrate understanding and share knowledge using spatial technologies and storytelling principles. We invite guests to share their questions and perspectives on the possibilities and limitations of XR storytelling to facilitate relational connections to curriculum and instruction.

PRESENTERS:Sarah Cassidy | Janelle LaVoie | Quincy Wang | Poh Tan
We are a team of VR learners from the University of Saskatchewan and Simon Fraser University in Canada. Our research explores innovative uses of immersive technology for STEM education and pro-social change.